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| Home > Resources > ICI Waste > RONA |
RONA -- taking reduction to the next levelRONA is one of Canada's largest home improvement and building retail centers - with a green streak. RONA takes the environmental impacts of the products they sell very seriously. That's why they have teamed up with the International Chair in Life Cycle Assessment from the Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal. By carrying out life cycle assessments, they can identify products that meet the goals of sustainable production and consumption - a process far beyond the minimum environmental regulations they are required to follow. By using the life cycle approach, RONA can identify the environmental impact of each phase of a product's life: from natural resource acquisition, to manufacturing, packaging and transport, to end of life. Products that are identified as having a minimal impact get a special designation to help consumers make better choices. The two titles for products that have undergone this process are Eco-Responsible and RONA Eco. Here's the difference: Eco-Responsible products are chosen based on life cycle assessment criteria. They meet reduced impact requirements in one or several of their life cycle phases. Some examples are Energy Star approved lighting fixtures, low flush toilets, and VOC-free paint. In short, these products are better than most conventional competing products, but not as good as they could be. RONA ECO brand products have met more strict requirements than eco-responsible choices. These products have minimal impacts at each phase of their life cycle - making them the best of the best in terms of environmentally sound choices. For example, RONA Eco wood moulding and flooring products are made from Forest Stewardship Council certified wood in a plant that reclaims processing residuals and uses renewable energy. Besides offering eco-conscious products, RONA also offers compact fluorescent light (CFL) recycling. Why? CFLs are sold by RONA and others because they are more energy efficient than tungsten light bulbs in the home. However, they contain a small amount of mercury, which makes them more hazardous at the end of their life. By recycling CFLs, all the materials, including the mercury, can be recovered. (Source: August 2009 WasteWatch)
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